Chaos Unleashed: Part Two
by E4me100
Summary: The world has changed. With the absence of the Fellowship, Sauron's power has been growing in ways that none could ever have imagined. Destruction and doom are on the horizon, and with the assistance of Kaia, Kathryn, and Erin, the Fellowship must now race to complete the mission they once left behind. Part 2 in a series (obviously). Self-inserts. Not the plot you'd expect.
1. A New Arrival

Chaos Unleashed: Part 2

_...Well! You look a bit frightened, my friend! I suppose that last bit gave you quite a shock! Though I did warn you this would happen, didn't I? Tales such as these are often filled with twists and turns._

_But you also look quite...confused. Where did they all go, you ask? What happened to them? Well, of course I'm going to tell you! I would be a horrible host if I just left you hanging like that! However...perhaps we could use a brief pause. To settle down from all that excitement and prepare for the rest of our long journey. Because believe me, it is far from over. Yes, yes...far from it._

_In fact, that does sound like quite a good idea. Shall I get you something while you're just sitting there? Something to eat or drink, perhaps? I'm sorry to say I'm out of wine, or I would share it with you. I do remember there being a few apple tarts left in the kitchen, though._

_What's that? You're not hungry? Oh. Well, I guess that's just as good._

_Well, what else can I tell you? Life in the wide world goes on...full of its own comings and goings. People living their lives to the fullest...others making mistakes. I imagine you've done some of both, as have I. In fact, I've made some mistakes that should've cost me my life. But fate had other plans for me, it seems. Some I regret. And some I have learned from. And some, unfortunately, cost the lives of others...friends I once cared for very deeply. But in all of this, I have learned one thing in particular that I would not sacrifice for anything._

_Loyalty is one of the greatest treasures you can ever dream of finding._

_It will get you far in this world, I can promise you. It carried me quite a long way. In my lifetime, I have met people whose loyalty knows no bounds, and it is a beautiful thing. Too often in this day and age are people quick to turn their back on others for personal gain. Loyalty is more important now than it ever has been. Your friends and loved ones, one day...they will need someone who they can trust. And so will you. Do not take true friendship for granted. It does not come as often as it should anymore._

_...Ahh, but enough of that. My apologies. I put too much of a damper on things, didn't I? Though in a way, it is quite relevant to the remainder of our tale here. Because this is when things get harder. This is when they will need to trust each other now more than ever to survive._

_Hopefully they can find it in them to do just that._

Chapter One

Kathryn's POV

_...Breathe...breathe...I can still breathe._

I tried to move my limbs. I tried to think. I tried to remember something, anything at all.

_Just...breathe, Kathryn. _

I couldn't.. My mind felt...dark. Hazy. Unexplored.

_But you're still breathing...that means you're still alive._

Was I alive? I didn't feel alive. I felt cold, stiff... But no. I was breathing, and I was thinking. My mind was a bit less murky now. I could feel myself coming back to my senses. I was alive.

_You're almost there...you can do it. Just...wake up...wake up..._

It was slow, really slow, but I was getting there. I could hear faint, muffled voices, growing louder... A light growing behind closed eyelids.

_Wake up, Kathryn...wake up..._

I was so close. So close... I took a full, deep breath, my lungs sucking in sweet air for what felt like the first time in ages.

_Wake up!_

oOo

The first thing I saw was a blur of colors, a blob of red at the center of my line of vision. My ears were ringing, and everything hurt. Then my eyes finally began to focus, and I groaned as I recognized the face of Boromir hovering over me.

At my noise, his eyes widened briefly before looking up, past my head. "She's alive. She's all right." His gaze flicked back down to me, blue eyes meeting my dark brown ones. "Kathryn? Kathryn, can you hear me?"

I coughed, trying to slowly sit up. "Of course I can hear you. I'm not deaf."

"Kathryn!" I turned my head as I propped myself up on my elbows to see Erin standing nearby, and Legolas just behind her. "Oh, thank God," she muttered.

"What?" I asked, looking back and forth between them all. "What happened? And..." My eyes went wide with confusion again as I looked around. "...Where the hell are we?"

"Well...we're not at home. I can tell you that."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Erin." I tried to sit up even more, but my hand immediately flew to my head, and I hissed as I was attacked by a pounding headache. "Shit!" I swore. "I feel like I got run over!" I took a moment to adjust to the thumping pain at my temples, then slowly sat upright and opened my eyes to get a good look around. My eyes widened in fear as my brain began to make connections. "Oh my God... where's our house?!"

Sure enough, our modest little home was nowhere to be seen. In fact, we weren't even indoors anymore. I was sitting on cold, hard ground, cushioned only by a thin layer of crunchy, dry leaves. Everywhere I looked, there were trees, massive ones that twisted and tangled themselves together. Their branches spiraled upwards to impossible heights, and very few leaves still clung to their branches. Strange mosses and other things I couldn't identify clung to the bark, and the air itself was super muggy. Something strange nagged at me from the back of my mind...I recognized this place. It was vague, but I was sure I'd seen something like it before.

And then, peeking up through the top of the trees, I noticed something else. "It's sunset," I said, looking back to the others. My heart skipped a beat as the gears continued to turn in my head. "Did we...?"

Legolas nodded from a few feet away. "Welcome to Middle-Earth."

I was pretty sure my eyeballs were going to fall out of their sockets at this point. "No way! Seriously?"

"Yes," he nodded. "We are really here."

A grin began growing on my face. "Oh, good! We finally got you guys...home..." It dropped from my face just as quickly as it had come. "Wait! Why are Erin and I still here, then?"

Erin winced. "I...don't know, exactly. I'm thinking we weren't supposed to be holding hands with them when we opened the portal or something. Apparenly we got sucked in, too."

I blinked, trying to clear my head. "...Okay...Well, can we get back?"

Again, I saw an uneasy look cross her face. "That's the problem. One of many, at least. I have no idea where the stuff is. It looks like the only things that got transported here was whatever was on our bodies at the time."

"...So everything's gone? Meaning we can't go home?" She nodded, and I blanched. "Oh my God...What are we gonna do?! We're lost in Middle-Earth without any of our stuff!"

"Not entirely," Legolas cut in. I looked toward the elf, and his eyes sparkled a bit as he spoke. "I would know this forest anywhere. We just so happened to land in Mirkwood."

"Mirkwood?" My panic lessened slightly. "Oh! Great. You can get us out of here, then!"

"Well, yes," the elf replied, "but there are still several problems which we need to address. First of all, as Erin pointed out, we do not have any provisions for surviving in the wilderness. The fact that it is nearly dusk is also unsettling, as it means we will be stranded in the dark within the hour. And if there is one thing I have learned about this forest in my lifetime, it is to never underestimate its inhabitants."

I eyed him warily. "Inhabitants? You don't mean..." I trailed off, my fear slowly rising again.

Erin nodded. "Yes, Kathryn. Spiders."

"Among other creatures, I'm sure," Boromir added. I tensed, beginning to panic. I absolutely _hated _spiders, or any kind of bug for that matter. And the fact that I knew that these spiders were the size of a small bus horrified me even more. _Shit. Shit shit SHIT. Not good. Very not good._

"Which leaves us with a decision to make," Erin went on, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do we do?"

All eyes turned to the blonde prince, relying on his expertise to get us out of this, and his blue eyes instantly turned to me. "More than anything, it is important that none of us are injured. Are you sure you are all right, Kathryn?"

I nodded, slowly standing up and brushing the leaves off of my butt. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a headache, but I guess you can expect that when you get dumped into a fantasy world."

He managed a small smile before continuing. "The second most imperative thing to do would be to secure a place of shelter. I doubt we will be able to get far at this time of day. These woods are especially dangerous at night," he said bitterly.

"Do you know where we are in Mirkwood?" Erin asked. "Like, is there a place nearby we could stay?"

His eyes flicked back and forth, assessing the area. "I do not know. I feel as if I have seen this place before, but...something is not quite right about it. The trees are...dead." I looked around, noticing it as well. The bark of these trees were grey and black-ish, giving the woods a sickly feel. It certainly wasn't very welcoming, at least.

Boromir nodded in agreement. "There is something strange about these trees," he said quietly. His eyes then locked on the elf as well. "Is there not an old fortress here that used to taint the woods with evil?"

Legolas' eyes had a steely look about them as Boromir mentioned the place. "Dol Guldur," he said lowly. "Sauron was driven out of the ruins years ago, but his servants have reclaimed it since. The forest never fully healed from his dark magic." He looked at a decayed tree nearby again. "I would imagine we are far to the south, close to the source of the forest's shadow."

"Damn," I muttered. "Is there anywhere at all that we can go?"

"I am not sure," he answered. "I would like to have a look around before the last of the sunlight slips away from us, though."

"Go for it," I shrugged. He nodded to us once, then quickly swung up into the nearest tree and began climbing op through the branches like a monkey. I watched for a moment as his golden head disappeared. _Wow, okay Mr. Acrobat. Way to show off_, I thought teasingly.

Suddenly, Erin gasped from beside me. "Oh no..."

I frowned. "What?"

She didn't seem to register that I'd said anything, her eyes going wide and her hand running through her short brown hair. "Oh shit...No!"

"Erin!" I said, finally catching her attention. "What is it? What's wrong."

Her hazel eyes met mine, fearful and panicky. "Kathryn, oh my God...What about the others? Kaia and them? Are they still on Earth? Are they here? And if so, how the _hell_ are we going to find them?"

I gasped as well. "Oh no! Oh my God, I don't know! Erin, how are we gonna find them?"

Boromir placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't panic. We...we will find them...somehow." But even he faltered a bit, realizing the weight of the situation.

Just as I was about to speak again, a shout came from above us, and we looked up to see Legolas drop down to the ground again, a wild smile on his face as he looked at us. "You will not believe..." He laughed, practically glowing with happiness.

"What?" Boromir asked.

"We are not in such a dire situation, it would seem," he said. "I was wrong. We are far, far from Dol Guldur...this is the northern part of Mirkwood. And, more importantly, only a few hours away from my father's halls."

My jaw dropped. "No way. You're serious?"

He nodded. "I could see the Forest River from there," he said, "along with the mountain that the caves of the Woodland Realm are located in." He turned, glancing upwards and taking a few paces forward. "If we move quickly, we may be able to reach the gates before the storm hits us."

"Storm?" Boromir asked. I glanced over at Erin, noticing that she'd fallen silent.

Legolas turned back to us and nodded. "There are dark clouds on the horizon. I know this area well, however. There should be a hidden elf-path not far from here that will lead us to my father's halls. Come."

I glanced at my Gondorian friend as the elf started off. _Unanimous decision, I guess. _He ushered for me to go ahead so that he could take the back to protect us if needed, and I nudged Erin to get her moving as well. "Come on man, let's go! We're gonna go see the elves!"

At that, she seemed to snap out of her dazed trance. "What?"

"Didn't you hear Legolas?" I beamed. "We're close to Thranduil's halls!"

She blinked several times. "...No way. No way!" A huge smile lit up her face as she ran after the elf. "Holy crap, we're gonna see the elves! Oh my God! Legolas, wait up!"

oOo

Erin's POV

I shivered violently and pushed hair out of my face for what seemed like the millionth time that hour. _'Oh, we're gonna beat the storm there. Yeah, totally!' I swear to God, if he gets us lost or captured or something and we walked all this way for nothing..._

Needless to say, I was grumpy. We'd made good headway for about an hour, but the storm had caught up to us much quicker than Legolas had thought. For a moment, we'd stopped, with Kathryn, Boromir and I protesting that we couldn't go tramping around a forest in this kind of weather, but Legolas had insisted that we press on. He'd tossed their Fellowship cloaks at Kathryn and I to help keep dry, but those had long since been soaked through, as was everything else I wore. Hair, shirt, socks, bra...you name it. I was wet.

And along with that, my patience for finding the halls of the elves was wearing thin. I had no doubt that Legolas was leading us in the right direction, don't get me wrong, I just... I wanted to get there quickly, and not just because of the rain. There was something wrong with these woods. The forest was sick, but even for Mirkwood it was unsettling. I knew it had been suffering for awhile, but it hadn't looked this bad in the movies. The trees were so...dead. Not just sick, but completely dead-looking.

I glanced ahead as I plodded along the muddy elf-path Legolas had found, catching a glimpse of the prince's blonde head not far off. "Legolas!" I shouted. He quickly turned and pressed a finger to his lips to silence me, and I swore under my breath. _Great job, Erin. Let's try __not__ alerting every spider in Mirkwood to our presence._

I mouthed an apology to him and picked up the pace, catching up to where he waited in a few seconds. "Trust me, Erin, being so close to my father's realm does not mean we are safe," he said lowly.

"I know, I know," I said. "Sorry. I just...I wanted to warn you. Something doesn't feel right."

He tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, like he often did when he was confused. "What do you mean?"

I paused, unsure how to answer him. "...I don't know," I said finally. "It's just...it's almost like it's _too_ quiet, even for Mirkwood." He looked away, processing what I was saying. "I know you're excited to get home and all, but I'm still worried. About that, and Kaia and the others, too."

At the mention of them, he met my gaze again. "Do not worry, Erin. We will find out what happened to them somehow. I promise."

A large part of me questioned how that was even possible, but I plastered a fake smile on my face anyway. "Thanks." I fell into step beside him as we started moving again, Kathryn and Boromir now having caught up. Legolas lightly vaulted himself over a fallen tree that lay in our path, and I sucked in a breath as I lifted myself over it too. What I didn't expect was to land directly in a huge puddle on the other side, and my face went completely deadpan as the murky water soaked right through my red Converse and socks. "Watch out for puddles," I mumbled halfheartedly as Kathryn came over after me.

She just barely missed soaking herself in it, though she still wasn't much better off than I was in her black Toms. I continued walking, hearing her call to Legolas over my shoulder. "How close are we?"

"Not far," he replied. "I suspect we will reach the Forest River any moment now."

"Hey," I said, catching his attention again. He looked at me expectantly, and I thought about how to phrase my question without sounding offensive. "...Your father, is he...? Is he, uh... friendly?" I had seen Lee Pace do a flawless job with his character in _The Hobbit_, and of course I was expecting him to look the same as he did in the movie, but I was totally unprepared for how to approach the guy. At least, I assumed we'd have to talk to him when we got there.

"He does not take kindly to intruders," Legolas admitted with a shake of the head. "Though he may be a bit more sociable to you since I am in your company."

I nodded. "What about Kathryn and I specifically? What should we do?"

"Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that," she cut in from behind me. "He's probably gonna think we're strange for wearing pants, right?"

He chuckled at that. "Probably." On a more serious note, he went on. "But keep your cloaks tightly about you once we arrive. The less attention we draw to ourselves, the better."

I nodded again, then looked over my shoulder as Boromir came up to us. "What about you? You think he'll like you?"

The redheaded man shrugged. "I have not met King Thranduil before, but my father never spoke kindly of him, if at all." He glanced at Legolas, who showed no reaction. "I hope he is understanding, given our situation."

"That's just it, though," I sighed. "Our situation is hard to explain...and even harder to believe."

"He will have my word to trust," Legolas reassured us again. "You will be fine."

I said nothing, just kept walking forward and staring at my feet. The rain was still pouring down on us, dripping from my nose and hair, running into my eyes. _At least it's not windy,_ I mused. It had gotten considerably darker and colder since we'd started off, though. Thinking about it made me shudder, and I pulled the sopping wet cloak tighter around me in a pointless attempt to protect me from the elements.

My mind began to wander again as we walked, landing on the subject of the Mirkwood elves again. I couldn't say that I wasn't excited. In fact, if we weren't walking through dangerous, cold, wet territory, I'd probably be bouncing my way down the path. No, I was excited to see the Woodland Realm. Seeing it in the movies alone had been amazing for me. It had been so beautiful...easily my favorite realm in Middle-Earth. And now I was getting to see it for myself!

I was also very intimidated by the thought of meeting the king, though. I loved Thranduil's character to death, but I was already expecting to feel unwelcome in his halls. He was known for being cold and possibly even heartless by many, not caring for anyone but himself and his own people. I doubted it was true, but still. I could've been wrong. And then there was one other elf in Mirkwood that I was nervous about meeting...even more than Thranduil himself. _Well, nervous isn't the word for it. Displeased fits way better. _I was about to roll my eyes out of contempt, but stopped myself. _Might as well save it. There'll be plenty of eye-rolling once we meet, I'm sure._

Suddenly, I was jerked from my thoughts as I felt my foot catch on an errant root sticking out of the ground. My eyes widened as I registered what was happening, and my arms flailed wildly to try and catch myself, but that failed. I cringed as I faceplanted into the wet, muddy ground.

"Erin!" I heard a shout and groaned as I picked myself up. "Are you all right?" A hand touched my arm, and I grabbed onto Boromir as he helped me stand again.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I said. I looked down, frowning as I stared at the mud and leaves that were now splattered all over me. A sigh escaped my lips as I trudged forward again. "Absolutely fantastic." _Whatever. The mud never bothered me anyway, I guess. _

Despite what had just happened, I somehow got lost in my thoughts again two seconds later, and probably would've walked right off a cliff if Legolas hadn't shot an arm out and caught me. I blinked and looked down at the raging river far below. "...Oh. Sorry."

He didn't say anything at first, just looked at me with a brilliant smile on his face. "Erin...look. We are here."

My eyes widened, all the complaints of the weather that'd been rolling around in my head vanishing as I looked past him to what lay across the gap. Even in the darkness, I could pick out the smooth stone bridge leading over to what could only be the entrance to Thranduil's realm. Great stone pillars that looked woven together stood strong and tall, framing the equally massive teal doors that led into the mountain where the elves lived. The remainder of the elven path led along the cliff's edge, down to the main walkway that connected to the bridge across the water. There were a few flickering torches as well, just enough to provide light on the stone landing where guards stood watch.

I heard the faint gasps of Kathryn and Boromir as they came up behind us, also seeing our destination up ahead. "Thank God," the former breathed in relief. I could feel the excitement beginning to buzz inside me as Legolas took off down along the river's edge, motioning for us to follow. My thoughts of anything else were completely gone now as we approached the end of the road and the guards caught sight of us, shouting out orders in elvish for us to stop and state our business in the forest.

Legolas raised his hands in response, showing he meant no harm. _"Avo drasto, mellon! Gwannas l__û__ ad, si iston i n__ívedh." _(Do not worry, friend! A long time has passed, but I know your face.)

"What's he saying?" Kathryn whispered.

"He's telling them we're okay to be here," I said, roughly translating the elvish in my head. I knew some, but not much. As we drew closer, I took a deep breath and prepared for the inevitable. _Here goes nothing._

**A/N: And another book begins. Bonus points if you catch the reference Erin makes in this chapter. ;) **

**If you're new to my stories and haven't read part one of this, READ THAT FIRST! You'll be much less confused, I promise you. C: And if you've been eagerly awaiting the second installment of this shorter series...congratulations. You got it. C:**

**Again, thank you all so _so _much for the support you've given me with this fic so far. I'd be nowhere if not for you. :) And happy (belated) birthday to Kathryn again, who somehow managed to put up with me and be my best friend for a third miraculous year. Hope you enjoy the rest of this crazy adventure, my dear~**

**-Erin**


	2. The Elvenking

**A/N: Woah, hey! Sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter...but if I'm being honest, I've kinda been dreading writing this. Mostly because it means I get to write for Thranduil. I've been looking forward to these next few chapters, too, though. Mostly because it means I get to write for Thranduil (side note: it's also because I started watching Pushing Daisies last week and I love it).**

**In all seriousness, though, I do really hope I got his character right. He's definitely one of my favorite Tolkien characters, right up there with Legolas and Faramir. I mean, he just has _such _an interesting background and it's so complex and now that DoS is out there's all these headcanons for Thranduil floating around... So, yeah! Let me know what you guys think of him! C: Hope you enjoy!**

***prays desperately that I didn't butcher Thranduil***

Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

Chapter Two

Erin's POV

I stared straight ahead at the sealed door from where I sat up against a pillar on the ground, waiting. After a moment of briefly explaining that he was alive and deflecting the many questions his friends of the guard peppered him with, Legolas went into the halls of the elves alone, assuring the rest of us that we would be summoned shortly. He'd wanted to give his father a bit of time to soak in the fact that his only son and heir was perfectly fine and returned home, and then also warn The Elvenking of our arrival. Normally, I would've been totally okay with that, but Legolas had been gone for awhile. I hoped that nothing had gone wrong inside.

I felt a finger poke my side and turned to see Kathryn sitting next to me. "Hey there, beautiful," she winked as she whispered to me in a low, overly sultry voice.

I smiled. "Hey. You ready to get out of this rain?"

"Yes." She glanced back at the gloomy skies behind us where it continued to pour. "It doesn't look like it's coming down quite as heavy now, though."

"Figures," I scoffed. "The moment we finally reach shelter, the rain lets up."

"Thanks, Obama," she said in an obnoxious tone.

I laughed. "Dude, that joke is so old."

"Still gold," she replied. I nodded in agreement. "Oh, there was something else I wanted to ask you."

"What?"

"When we get inside, are we gonna be interrogated or something?"

"Probably. Why?"

"Okay. I just don't know if you want me to not say certain things about how we got here."

I thought about that. "...I don't know. I don't think there's anything that we really should be hiding, but I'll try and answer all their questions about the portals and stuff just in case."

At that moment, there was a loud clang as the great gates swung open. I looked up to catch a glimpse of what lay beyond, but I didn't catch much before an elf with brown hair and keen amber eyes slipped out. Kathryn and I both got to our feet, and Boromir stepped closer from where he'd been standing off to the side. The unnamed elf looked at me somewhat expectantly. "The King wishes to see you." I nodded to him, and then once to my friends before turning and following him inside. _Oh God, this is it. We're going in. This is gonna be horrible oh my word I don't want to do this anymore why are we here – Woah._

Any and all apprehension I'd felt a second ago was washed away as I stepped through those doors.

It was... indescribably beautiful. The caves were enormous, twenty times bigger than they'd ever appeared on screen. Every inch of stone was carved expertly to look like wood, so much that I was convinced we were walking on pathways of tree branches at first. Waterfalls from the outside river cascaded over areas of the walls, disappearing into clear rivers far below us. Pillars sprouted out of the ground everywhere, branching out into more stunning feats of architecture that connected to the high ceiling. Ethereal lights glowed a soft gold from where they hung in midair, giving the entire place a surprisingly warm feel. And I unashamedly gaped at it all as we walked along, speechless beyond measure. Even my description of these halls just now don't do it justice. It was otherworldly.

I was finally torn out of my awestruck state when I caught sight of the centerpiece of it all: the impressive structure of the throne lying just ahead. That was when I fully turned my focus forward and my jaw went slack for the second time within the past five minutes. I could see it. I could actually see the throne...the carven pillars surrounding its three levels connected by brief flights of stairs; the guards standing completely still as they protected it. As we drew even closer, I could make out more details, but the one thing I couldn't draw my eyes away from was the figure seated in the grand chair itself. I swallowed thickly and closed my mouth as we slowed our pace and ascended the first set of stairs, then the second that led to the plateau before the king.

As soon as I hit the top step, I felt his eyes on me, assessing our little group. I continued to avoid eye contact and moved to the right, letting Boromir and Kathryn stand next to me. There were a few other guards stationed around us, and I heard a few others assembling behind us by the base of the stairs to keep us from running off. Legolas stood right in front of us, directly beneath his father's throne, but held a grim expression. I caught his eye and shot him a questioning look, confused when he only shook his head. A stony silence settled over the area for a few long seconds, then shattered by a smooth, powerful voice.

"It is a strange thing for fate to bring three mortals into these halls."

My eyes snapped up to finally look at the owner of the voice. Thranduil's cold blue irises trailed over the three of us, intimidating enough on their own. I tried to match his stare as proudly as I could, but I knew it was a wasted attempt of bravery. "Though according to my son, it is not fate which has brought you here at all." Here his gaze lingered on Kathryn and I. "I do not take kindly to trespassers, as you may have guessed...so choose your words wisely, unless you would enjoy spending the remainder of your days in my dungeons." More silence, and I swallowed again. Were we expected to reply?

Surprisingly, it was Kathryn who found her voice first. "Whatever you'd want to know, we would tell you."  
The Elvenking's sharp eyes flicked to her, and I could tell she almost immediately regretted speaking out. "Who are you, and how are you responsible for the disappearance of my son?"

She glanced at me for a moment, silently crying for help. I opened my mouth to answer, but Boromir jumped in first. "I, at least, am no stranger to you, or at least I should not be. Boromir, son of Denethor." Impressively, he was able to nearly match Thranduil's stare with authority of his own. _I guess years of being the steward's son will do that to you._

"Denethor? The Steward of Gondor," the king mused. "Your father and brother have long been searching for you." I glanced sideways, noticing the smallest flash of emotion pass over Boromir's face. "It would do them well to see you again...though there is rumor that the steward is not who he once was." He looked the man dead in the eye. "He has become withdrawn, rarely keeping up appearances as a king should."

"He is not a king," Boromir said, though I knew that wasn't an easy thing for him to admit, "but still a noble man."

Thranduil seemed to almost not acknowledge his comment at all. "And I have also heard tell that he draws on information from a secret, hidden source as well." My breath caught in my throat. I knew exactly what he was talking about, and I'm sure Boromir did, too. "Yes...he would do very well to see your return." He then turned to me. "And what of you? You are not from these lands."

I shook my head. "No. My name is Erin...daughter of James, I suppose. And Kathryn." I gestured to her. "My best friend."

He looked us over again. _God, that'll take some getting used to. _Then, in one fluid motion, he rose from his throne and began descending the stairs to our level. "And where, if not from Middle-Earth, do you come?"

I continued to make eye contact as I spoke. "I know it sounds hard to believe, but... we come from a different world entirely, known simply as 'Earth.' I don't know where it would be in relation to here. It's something like a parallel universe."

Thranduil stopped in front of me, a dangerously low amount of space between us. He easily towered over my meager five foot four. "Another universe?" He seemed to smirk the tiniest bit for a fraction of a second, and I realized how ridiculous it sounded out loud. Suddenly, he lowered his voice, getting right up in my face as I stood totally still. "And how would you expect me to believe that? For all I know, you could be a spy of the Enemy."

I stared right back, a sudden spike of boldness coming over me at his accusation. "You don't have to trust my word. You trust your son's."

An unreadable expression was in his eyes before he stood upright and stepped away from me again, now speaking at his normal volume. "You have nothing to fear. Legolas has told me of your companionship, and I have no reason to doubt what he says is true." He had now moved back to stand beside the prince. "Though still, my second question is unanswered. How were you involved with his vanishing?"

Another beat of silence before I spoke. "The fault is mine, if anyone's. It was completely by accident, but somehow I opened a portal connecting our worlds for just long enough to pull Legolas and his...ah, _companions _out of Middle-Earth." I wasn't sure whether the Fellowship of the Ring was still supposed to be a secret or not by now. "I'm sorry for any trouble I may have caused you," I said to the king.

I was surprised to see a dark look pass over his features for a second, but the Elvenking recovered quickly. "And I assume your return to Arda along with them was unintentional as well?"

"Yes," I said.

Thranduil turned to look at his son for a moment, then back to us. "As of now, I can find no fault in you. Your account matches exactly with what Legolas has told me," he said, "but still through all of this, there is one glaring mistake that no one has been able to explain. Where are the others?"

I shared a look with Kathryn. "We don't know," she said. "They...they weren't with us when we crossed over."

Thranduil thought about that for a moment. "And these two are the only one who returned with you? There were no others?" I wondered what he was getting at. Whatever it was, he didn't seem too happy about it.

"None," Kathryn replied.

Another silence. I was watching Thranduil intently, trying to figure him out. Judging by the look in Legolas' eye, he was doing the same thing. That look of worry mixed with anger returned to the king's face for just a moment until he blinked and returned to his normal stoic expression. "If that is all you can tell me, then worry not. I have all the information I need." I frowned. _He's lying. He has to be. _"You are welcome to remain as guests of Legolas and I until you have decided what your next course of action will be. I will have Tauriel escort you to the guest chambers."

My face dropped. _Really? __Really?__ Out of all the elves in Mirkwood, it had to be - _"_Ben iest dh__în, Aran nin."_ [As you wish, my King.] All three of us turned to watch as she stepped up behind us – _Had she been there the whole time?_ - and gave us a nod of acknowledgment. I suddenly felt very self-conscious with my muddy clothes and stringy wet hair. "If you would, follow me." With that, she briskly turned and began walking away from the throne, but not before shooting a smirk at the prince behind us. I clenched my teeth and tried not to punch her as I fell into step behind Boromir, leaving the two royals of Mirkwood in our wake.

oOo

Legolas' POV

"Why did you do that?" I waited until the three were out of earshot before asking the question and turning quickly on my father. "You knew the answers to all those questions; I gave them to you."

"No," he corrected me. "I did not know the locations of the others, and hoped they would reveal such information. There were nine of you, Legolas, they must be somewhere." I said nothing as he turned to one of the guards, Landíron. "I want a notice sent out to every allied kingdom possible to alert them of potential travelers passing through. There will be a man, three Halflings, and a woman. If found, hold them captive and notify me of them immediately." He then took off down the twisting pathway, and I stayed right behind him, as I knew he expected me to do.

"So you proved their alibis. What then? What are the significance of the rest of the Fellowship to you?" There was something he was not telling me. I did not like that.

"I need to know if the Ringbearer made it back to Middle-Earth alive," he said. "If he is not, then we must find a way to get him here as soon as possible."

"To continue the quest?" I was confused. "We lost the dwarf and other hobbit, and Mithrandir. It will not be easy to regroup from that."

He never faltered in his pace or turned to look at me over his shoulder, but suddenly his voice was different than before. It carried fear, something that was rare for him to show in front of any other, even me. "Your quest must be fulfilled at all costs. If not...the end of Arda itself may be upon us."

I frowned as we reached the great oak doors leading to my father's private library, which was, in its simplest form, a large room formed only out of tall pillars and the massive shelves of books, scrolls, and any other documents he deemed useful stretching between them on all sides. When the doors closed behind us loudly, he spun on his heel and faced me directly, engulfed in the shadows from the dim lighting of the room. "What is going on?" I asked.

He looked at me with the anticipated steel gaze. "Much has happened in your absence. While your Fellowship was off enjoying the company of those women in another life, darkness has been destroying Middle-Earth piece by piece." My eyes widened slightly. "Sauron's power has grown stronger, and now with the White Wizard Saruman as his puppet, they are shaking the very foundations of the kingdoms of men as we speak."

"How?"

"Théoden's people were the first to fall," he explained, striding over to where a large map of Middle-Earth and all the major kingdoms was splayed across a slab of stone on a pedestal. "Saruman poisoned the king's mind, and he fell prey to the whisperings of the evil some time ago. Rohan was easily overrun." I stared at him, not believing what I was hearing as he pointed to the south. "Gondor is now the next target in the Dark Lord's sight. He has been kept out of Osgiliath and much of its surrounding territory thus far, but it will not last for much longer. Denethor has all but withdrawn from his position as steward, leaving much of the responsibilities to the young Faramir in his stead. They are weak...and the Enemy knows this."

A paralyzing fear began to creep up my spine as the unthinkable rose in my head. "What of the elves?" I asked quickly. "Have we been taken?"

My father exhaled slowly, moving his finger up to our neighbors in the west. "Lothlórien has been able to withstand many of Sauron's attacks, but their numbers are dwindling. Elves are leaving Middle-Earth faster than ever before, taking their chance to escape across the sea while they can. Rivendell has also gone mostly untouched by the evil forces. Saruman has not managed to break through Elrond's defenses yet, but much of the area between there and Isengard has been infested with evil."

When he hesitated, the knot of worry in my gut grew larger. "...And Mirkwood?"

He stared at the great forest drawn on the map for a moment, then raised his head to look at me. "The Nine have been sent to Dol Guldur."

My jaw tightened. It had been long since that sense of dread had taken me. "All of them?"

"Three," my father replied. That did not lessen the severity of the situation much. "Two more have taken the abandoned area of Hollin, though it is suspected that one may move to Amon Sûl soon. The other four remain in Minas Morgul."

"But if one does station itself at Amon Sûl, that would greatly increase the danger to Rivendell," I said.

"Yes, and all of Eriador as well," he nodded. "It is troubling...but not the worst of our plight."

I looked up at him again, still frowning. "What do you mean?"

At this, my father stalked away from the map and towards one of the shelves containing many scrolls. "Sauron is doing much more than overtaking kingdoms. He has grown in strength from the over taking of Rohan and other lands, and has been making considerable advancements in other ways as well."

I stared at him as he pulled a few parchments out of their places and came back to me. _Enough stalling. _"What other ways?" He set the papers on top of the map in front of me, and I looked down, my eyes widening again as I took in what was on them. _Drawings...of..._ "...What are these?"

"Sauron's advancements," my father replied. "He has been experimenting and breeding creatures such as these constantly." He pointed to one of the crude sketches, depicting a being with a human-like body, but feet like a canine's and thick arms that stretched to the ground. Its clawed fingers and hunched back reminded me vaguely of a troll, but its head was horned with two smaller extrusions protruding from its cheeks. A large, gnashing mouth and two wide-set, sallow eyes completed the drawing, which I felt uncomfortable just by looking at. "Men are calling these 'slinkers.' They are likely the mutilated form of a troll. Tall and slow moving, but fairly aggressive and difficult to defeat once provoked. They are more commonly spotted in forested areas."

He then moved to the next one, which highly resembled the Wargs that most were familiar with. "The 'wilks,' as dubbed by the Rohirrim. Much more vicious and intelligent than Wargs, and can also stand on their hind legs alone when needed. They have been seen in areas of open plains most often."

The next drawing was an incredibly frightening creature whose origin I could not place. Its legs closely resembled that of a horse's, but the rest of its body did not. The arms seemed human, though in the place of hands there were only two long, crude iron blades, hooked at the edges. A single fin-like extremity stuck out from its upper back, attached to a chain that had since been broken. It had no eyes and a small mouth, the facial features of note being the two large, curved plates of metal sticking out on either side. A long tail with a bladed tip also stood out on the hybrid creature. "These are the most deadly of our new enemies. Cleavers, as the men call them. No sight, but exceptional hearing and agility. There are rumors that these monsters were not released by Sauron's will, but their own – broken free from wherever they were held within the bowels of Mordor and escaped into the world. Few that encounter these barbaric creatures have survived."

My eyes flicked to the last of the four images, and though my father's description of the last beast had been terrifying enough, this was the one that made my blood run cold. What horrified me about it most was the fact that it looked completely human, save for its one prominent feature: a large metal blade in the shape of a T covering nearly all of its skull, save for the abnormally large mouth. The metal covered all traces of nose and eyes, though there were four eyes painted onto the flat front of the helmet instead. "...This is not a creature created entirely by Sauron's own hand," I stated, looking up to my father in the faint hope that he would correct me.

Unfortunately, he could not. "No." He paused for only a second, and I knew the origin of this monster turned his stomach as well. "Though it was unlikely to think they would waste so many bodies." I turned back towards the image as he explained them a bit more. "Seekers. These are the ones that have infested Mirkwood the most, as they have been reportedly coming out of Dol Guldur more often than anywhere else. They also seek out enemies using sound instead of sight, with an odd form of clicks and groans used as echolocation." I stared at the drawings for a second longer before he spoke again. "Legolas." Turning my eyes to his, I could see his fear. "These enemies are coming out of the lairs of Sauron by the dozens every day. They are still mysteries to us, though we have been collecting as much information on them as possible. Sauron is advancing his armies in brutality and intelligence with only one goal in mind: total conquest of the free realms of Middle-Earth."

"And you think destroying the Ring will still be enough to stop him?"

He looked at me gravely. "It may be the only thing now."

I swallowed, the gravity of the situation finally setting in. "I noticed the forest was...burned. The trees were all dead, even so close to these caves."

My father closed his eyes and took a breath. "The attacks from Dol Guldur have been ruthless with the Nazgûl commanding them. We have been able to fend them off well enough, but outside of these walls, the entire forest is overrun. Spiders have returned to their nests we once destroyed with a bitter vengeance, and the new enemies that stalk these woods make it an even greater danger to step outside. We have continued trading with the men of Laketown, but I fear that will not last much longer." His eyes flicked east. "They are bound to collapse under the weight of Sauron's evil soon."

I hesitated asking the question that was on the tip of my tongue. "...And our people?"

A much longer pause. "...They are leaving."

He would not look at me, and I knew it was out of shame. My father worked tirelessly to care for the elves of our realm; he would do nearly anything for the safety and prosperity of his kingdom and its subjects. And to know that they were losing faith in his leadership enough to leave Middle-Earth would break him. "It is not something you can control," I said quietly, hoping to offer some comfort. "Sauron's wrath is fierce, and none could have predicted his rise would come this swiftly."

"But I surely could have done more to protect my people from it," he said sharply, still staring at the map. "They leave because they have no hope...because I failed to give it to them." His voice held its near-emotionless edge, but I could still detect the traces of underlying guilt within it.

"They make their own decisions."

"And they chose to distrust me."

"_Ada_ -"

He snapped his head up to meet my gaze, a sadness lingering in his eyes behind their stone-cold mask. "Go, Legolas. Your friends will be eager to see you, I am sure."

I closed my mouth and nodded once before quickly leaving the library. I knew when to leave my father alone, and this was one of those times. Though as I walked, an unwelcome thought gnawed at the back of my mind – would he ever believe that I was losing trust in him, too?

**A/N: Before I respond to a guest review, I'd just like to point out that the imagery for these new creatures of Sauron's were provided by the drawings of a wonderful artist on deviantART by the name of StilleNacht. I HIGHLY recommend that you go look through his gallery for the pictures that I'll be using as reference when describing these creatures – in the order they appear in this chapter, they're titled "Tall Troll," "Werewolf," "Demon Soldier," and "Painted Eyes." _Go look them up. _His work is fantastic! And also, if you guys have any better names I could use for these new creatures, let me know! The ones I'm using now (I think) are kinda lame, but I wanted to get this chapter out for you guys, so... :P**

**Now, on to that review...**

**To KitsuneWarrior: Let me start off by saying that I'm_ insanely _flattered by your request! :D I have some of the most amazing readers ever, I swear. As far as a reading of my fanfics on YouTube go... I guess it depends on which ones you specifically plan on reading. There are a couple that I still have up on my profile that honestly, I'm not proud of anymore, but I keep them there to please others who still enjoy them. Also, is your YouTube channel name just KitsuneWarrior? I found that one, but not one named 'thekitsunewarrior' like you said in the review.**


	3. Trouble in Paradise

Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

Chapter Three

Erin's POV

I blew air out of my pursed lips in exasperation. "God, I'm bored." I had done nothing but wander aimlessly around the elven halls for the past half hour or so. It was a good way to take in my gorgeous surroundings, no doubt, with the entire cavernous network carved to imitate the natural environment elves liked living in. A warm, comforting glow produced by golden lanterns (which were also made of the most beautiful twisted metal framing, I might add) was cast everywhere, and the few elves I'd bumped into had been nice enough to at least say hello and welcome me to their home. All in all, a nice place to stay.

Kathryn, Boromir and I had each been given rooms in the upper halls of the vast caverns, and had gotten a fairly nice tour of the whole place as Tauriel had been leading us there, but I was still in the mood to explore. I'd also realized earlier that I hadn't been able to talk to Legolas once since we'd gotten inside, and that was a perfectly good reason to get out and walk around in my mind. I glanced down, smoothing out the fresh new dress I'd been provided with. It was a pretty shade of amber, but simple in design. I wasn't one to be picky at this point, though.

It had taken me longer than I thought to get out of the upper halls, and the only reason I ever knew I'd emerged from them was because eventually I looked up and realized I was back in the main chamber with the throne. I had no idea where to go by now, so I just continued letting my feet take me wherever they wanted to, humming snippets of songs here and there to entertain myself. That was the only thing that bothered me about these caves...the silence. It was so overbearing and present throughout the entire place; a stillness so thick that it seemed like if you so much as coughed you'd be able to hear it on the other side of the kingdom. It was also much smaller than I'd imagined.

As I scolded myself for getting the tune of "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" stuck in my head again, I caught the faint sound of voices nearby and perked up. I'd been looking for my princely friend for hours now, and a few elves that I'd talked to for a moment had pointed me in this direction. As I drew closer and the voices got louder, I smiled. That was Legolas' voice, I'd know it anywhere. But there was another one...a distinctively female voice. I instantly made the connection in my mind and dropped the smile. _I can't get away from her, can I? She's like an infection._

Sure enough, when I peeked around a corner a few moments later, I could see Legolas and Tauriel standing together and talking a short ways away from me. They seemed to be having a pretty animated conversation, and it wasn't one I could decipher in my head. I clenched my fists as Tauriel said something that made Legolas burst into laughter. _They're just catching up. They're best friends, and they haven't seen each other in awhile. It's fine. _

I pressed my back against the smooth rock and rolled my eyes. _But why does he have to be best friends with her?_I waited a moment longer, wondering if it was even worth me going out there and interrupting. _You know what? No. Why am I so conflicted about this? She doesn't intimidate me, and I've been meaning to talk to Legolas for awhile now. If anything, interrupting their conversation will just piss her off a little bit. _With one last nod to give myself a bit more motivation, I turned and walked out from where I'd been hiding.

Legolas almost immediately looked over at me, grinning. "Erin!" He waved. "There you are!"

I smiled back. "Oh, hey! I've been looking everywhere for you!" I broke into a run and jogged up to him. "I haven't seen you all day!"

He laughed a bit. "I am sorry about that. My father has been keeping me busy." He suddenly got a bit more serious. "He has told me about what has happened while we were gone, Erin. I have much to tell you." Then he blinked, as if remembering we were not alone. "Ahh, but you two have not formally met, have you?"

I looked over to the she-elf as he gestured to her. There she was, in all her non-canon, fiery-haired glory. I wanted to scream, but I plastered a smile on my face anyway. "I don't think so, no." I extended my hand to her. "I'm Erin."  
"Tauriel," she replied. "And we have a common friend, it seems. Legolas has told me much about you and your world."

"Well, the stories are endless, aren't they?" I glanced at the prince, and he smiled. "I've been looking forward to meeting you, too." _And if you believe that for a second, you're as gullible as they come._

"Yes... In fact, he was just telling me about some of the stories that people write in your world sometimes...what did you call it? Something with fans?"

"Fanfiction?" I raised an eyebrow and turned to Legolas. "What, you're bragging to her about all of your little fangirls you have that write about you?" _...Even though I have no right to make fun of it..._

"Hardly," he laughed. "I was telling her about all the terrible ones."

I laughed. "Oh God, with the Mary-Sues? 'Legolas, save me! Legolas, come whisk me away as we fall love in a rushed, cliché way on this perilous journey! Legolas, save me from this conveniently written near-death experience where you nearly kiss me!' I faked a dramatic fall into his arms. 'Legolas, come rescue me from my horrible life of being a lowly elf-human-wizard hybrid with magic powers, neon hair and sapphire eyes!'

"Are they really that bad?" Tauriel asked.

"Many are," I admitted. _You would know, wouldn't you? _"But every now and then, you'll find a good one." It made me shudder to think about some of the ones I'd read in the past...and even written myself. "Just takes a little digging."

"Your world sounds quite interesting," she said. "I would love to visit it."

I laughed a bit and flashed another empty smile. "If only!" _Wow. I love sarcasm. _"But if you're not tied up anymore, Legolas, I was hoping we'd get a chance to hang out. You could show me all the secrets of these great big caves," I winked.

He chuckled. "Though you know I would love to, I still have many things that need done. Perhaps another time?"

I tried not to let the disappointment show on my face, especially since Tauriel was watching. "Oh dude, it's no problem! I understand. Whenever you're free, I guess."

He nodded. "Of course. Now if you would excuse us, _my lady_," he said with a teasing smile, "I was just about to ensure all was well with our trading partners." He then glanced at the other woman standing with us. "You and Tauriel could get to know each other. I am certain you will become great friends."

I turned and looked at her, thinking how we would never, ever be good friends. "I, uh...I was actually going to head back to my room and take a nap. Walking takes too much effort for me." Legolas cracked a smile at my joke.

"I could lead you back, if you'd like," Tauriel offered.

"No, I'm fine," I said quickly. "Thanks, though. See ya around." I smoothly spun on my heel and started back the way I'd come, groaning like a whale in my mind.

oOo

Kathryn's POV

I blew out a puff of breath as I looked over the small array of dresses that'd been given to me to use while we stayed at Thranduil's place. They were all really pretty, don't get me wrong, but I was already starting to miss my Earth clothes from back home. I just wanted to walk around in a hoodie and jeans, to be honest. _At least all their dresses seem pretty flowy and comfortable. Hopefully they won't make me try and squeeze into a corset or something. _I cringed mildly at the thought of it and started re-folding the dresses to put in a wooden trunk at the foot of my bed.

Just then, there was a loud knock on the door, and a familiar voice followed it. "Kathryn? Are you there?"

"Yeah!" I called over my shoulder. I heard the door slide open as the owner of the voice stepped into the room, and looked back to smile at Boromir as he walked in. "Hey."

He nodded. "May I have a moment to speak with you?"

He sounded pretty serious. "Sure. What's this about?"

A brief pause. I was halfway through my folding. "...I...I have been growing concerned lately."

"About what?"

"Gondor, specifically."

I stopped and turned to look at him for a moment. "Oh yeah, and all that stuff Thranduil said? I'd expect you to be."

"Yes," he said slowly. "Mostly about my father. It was...unsettling to hear what's become of him."

My gaze softened, and I took on a more sympathetic tone. "I'm sure they'll be okay, Boromir. They're strong men; you've said it yourself."

Still, he looked upset. "At one time, maybe. But now my father...perhaps even my brother...they are falling into decay." I felt awful, wishing there was something I could do. "And with each passing day, the danger grows greater. They sit on the edge of Mordor itself...they cannot last much longer on their own like this."

I didn't really know what else to say to comfort him. "Yeah...it is pretty terrible. I...I don't know what could be done, though."

Now he looked straight at me, snapping out of his momentary daze from a second earlier. "That is primarily what I wanted to talk to you about. I have begun to form a plan."

I looked at him questioningly, a slight frown on my face. "What kind of plan?"

He hesitated again, like he didn't want to answer me. "A plan...that would involve going to Gondor instead of searching for the Fellowship." I blinked, caught off-guard by this, but he went on before I could say anything. "You must understand. This is my country...my people we're talking about. I would never forgive myself if I let them down. And I am sure that Erin and Legolas could function well enough on their own-"

At that, my frown deepened. "Woah, woah, woah. Back up. You want to do what?"

His eyes were begging me to agree with him."Kathryn, you know what he said about my father. He is failing. He could be dying. Faramir is likely not much better. They are all I have left, Kathryn, I must go to them."

"You can't just ditch the rest of us, though!" I exclaimed. "You swore an oath, Boromir!"

"I swore nothing," he corrected me.

"You made a promise to protect Frodo," I said lowly. "If he's out there, then you have to hold up-"

"And if he's not?" he countered, now growing a bit angry. "I will not waste time searching all of Middle-Earth for others that may not even be here if my country is suffering."

"We're not gonna search all of Middle-Earth."

"Why not? They could be anywhere! Look where we ended up!"

I clenched my jaw a bit now, also upset. "That doesn't matter. You promised to protect them when you joined that Fellowship. I get that you have family that you're worried about, but this is the fate of Middle-Earth we're talking about. If we don't find Frodo and the Ring, Sauron will take over!"

"And what if Gondor were to fall?" Boromir shot back. "It is the last kingdom of men that still stands. If Gondor falls...so do we."

_...Oh shit. He's right. _For a moment, there was a tense silence between us. "Don't you trust your brother to handle it?"

"Of course I do," he said, calming down slightly. "But he should not be so burdened with carrying the fate of Men on his shoulders alone. And like I said, I would never forgive myself if I gave up a chance to help him for a ring, no matter how important it may be."

I sighed. "...I don't know, Boromir. This just...I don't know. Were you planning on telling Erin and Legolas?"

He shook his head. "Not now, at least. Please, do not speak of this to either of them. I do not want this to become an argument between all four of us."

I was about to give him the standard 'All right, whatever,' when my mind jumped back to something else he'd said that confused me. "Hang on. When you said you were thinking of leaving, you said Erin and Legolas would be fine on their own?" The frown was back on my face.

Now he looked a bit concerned again. "Yes. I was hoping that once I explained everything to you, you'd see where I was coming from...and...join me."

My eyes widened. "You want me to _what_?!"

"Kathryn, please," he replied quickly. "As much as I do not want to abandon my family, I would also never wish to leave you behind either."

"Oh, so instead you're just gonna ask me to desert two of my close friends? Great, glad we made that an easy decision," I said sarcastically.

"You do not have to give me an answer now," he said. "I have not worked out the details and such yet. Though I hope you would at least consider it."

"But _why_?" I was shocked that he didn't realize how insane he was sounding. "I don't know how friendships work where you're from, but I'm pretty sure Erin would be really pissed if I just up and left without telling her."

"Because it would benefit both parties," he explained. "Though I would feel perfectly comfortable making the journey on my own, I would not feel right leaving Legolas in charge of both of you. That is only one elf to defend two women, and no matter how skilled of a warrior he is, it would comfort me to know that you were still under my protection."

I closed my eyes for a moment and exhaled, thinking. "...Yeah, but I don't think I feel totally comfortable running across Middle-Earth with just the two of us, either. That still makes us way more vulnerable than if all four of us stayed in the same group."

"Then you can try convincing them both to take such a detour in our search for the others," he challenged. "Regardless, I still plan on getting back to Minas Tirith one way or another. I sincerely hope you choose to join me."

There was another short beat of tense silence before he turned and quickly walked out, and as soon as he shut the door behind him, I sunk down onto my mattress, covering my face in my hands. _He's started making plans without us. That's great. That's just absolutely peachy. _Boromir was about as obstinate as it gets; the only thing that would keep him from scrapping his plans was if part of the world blew up or someone died or the seventh sign of the apocalypse happened or something. Even then, that was a stretch.

For as hardheaded and utterly stupid as he could be sometimes, though...I was still afraid to lose him. He was the person I'd bonded to closest out of all the Fellowship, and I absolutely hated the idea of him going it alone. God knows what was out there waiting to kill him. But it felt just as wrong to leave Erin and Legolas the same way...

"God damn it," I muttered as I got up and headed for the door. _Where's their kitchen? I need to raid Thranduil's pantries for some comfort food._

oOo

Erin's POV

I stared at Legolas openly, feeling more terrified than I'd ever felt in a long while. "...You're serious?" I whispered. "Sauron's done all this?"

He nodded grimly. "My father has told me everything. Sauron has grown more powerful than anyone could have expected."

I leaned back in my chair from where we sat in the prince's bedroom together. I didn't know what to do. I didn't even know what to think. I could only stare at Legolas, then off at nothing in total shock and fear. All he'd told me about these creatures that Sauron and Saruman had created out of seemingly nowhere was horrifying beyond compare. _And those creatures could be roaming wild, hunting down Kaia and the rest of my friends right this second. Oh my God. How are we ever gonna fix this?_

"...Erin?"

I snapped out of it and looked back at Legolas, who still looked troubled. "What?"

He took a breath. "...That is not all I wanted to tell you about what Sauron has done. In truth, I do not want to tell you any of this, but... I feel like you should know." My heart raced. _Oh shit. Oh shit, what now?_ Legolas glanced down for a moment, then looked back up at me. "...Sauron has been destroying just as much as he has created. Rohan has been completely overrun." I froze. "Gondor is falling apart; they are incredibly weak. My father says that the men of Laketown are safe for now, but they would not last long if they were attacked." _No...No... _"Elves are leaving for the Undying Lands, deserting Lothlórien and Rivendell...and also these halls."

"What about The Shire?" I asked immediately. "And the dwarven kingdoms?"

"So far, most of Eriador has not been harmed, so the hobbits should be fine. He did not say anything about the dwarves, but judging by the land that has already been taken, I imagine Moria would still be crawling with Orcs. Erebor has gone untouched for the time being as well, and the other kingdoms lie further north and west, so they should be all right."

"Who knows how long that'll last, though?" I couldn't even look at him. "Oh God...oh God, this is all my fault! I'm so sorry!"

"Erin." I slowly raised my eyes to meet his again, and they showed nothing but a compassion that I didn't deserve. "It is not your fault. You could not have-"

"Yes it is!" I interrupted. "Without me and my stupidity, you guys would've never left Middle-Earth in the first place, and none of this would've happened!" Even Legolas couldn't immediately respond to that. Thousands of horrible thoughts spun in my head, and all I could focus on was the destruction I'd caused to such a beautiful world through my own idiocy. I felt my throat tighten and quickly stood up. "I'm gonna go," I said softly, not trusting my own voice. Not waiting for a response, I walked out, getting back to my own room as fast as I could.

As soon as I got there, I aimed straight for my bed, curling up into a little ball on it as I started to cry. Faces whirred through my mind. Éowyn...Éomer...Théoden...the two little kids that nearly lost their mom...all those innocent Rohirrim...and countless others from Gondor as well, no doubt. And they were all dead because of me. They were gone because the Fellowship hadn't been there to reunite with Gandalf and save Théoden from Saruman's control over his mind...and it was because of me.

I only cried more when I thought about all the others. _So many elves are gone. Arwen could be gone. Haldir...gone. Because of me, they're all forced to either leave their homelands that they love so much or be killed. Mirkwood is destroyed because of me. What have I done? Is there any way for me to fix this at all? _It hurt. I hated this. I grew up loving this fantastic world so, so much...wishing that I could live there myself. And now the once chance I got to visit it, it was being burned to the ground by a mess of my creation. _What have I done?_

**A/N: Oops didn't mean to make that such a sad ending lmao**

_**QUESTION: **_**Would you guys want me to write a scene where the Mirkwood elves are having a party in the next chapter or two? I'd love to write for drunk elves...if I could find a way to squeeze that in, I guess. And yes, you would most definitely see one (or both) of the girls drunk. Maybe Boromir or Legolas, too...**_**maaaaaaaybe. ;)**_

**Thanks for reading ad reviewing! C:**_  
_


	4. Look Who Crashed the Party

**A/N: Wow, two chapters in less than a week?! I've even amazed myself. :O**

**I've been in a good writing mood this week (another day off of school due to snow helped), and everyone's reviews on the last chapter made me so happy. You guys are well-deserving of a quick update. Though considering all the movies I've watched this week and with the new fandom I've started to get into (Avengers! and primarily Thor...any other fans out there? :D), I'm surprised I can still sit and write a LotR fanfic. I'm due to finally watch Star Trek: Into Darkness sometime soon, as well...**

**Anyway! This chapter is a bit of a special. Special in the sense that I didn't plan on doing the scenes that are happening with Erin and Kathryn, but you all said that you wanted to see it. Your wish is my command! ;) Hope you enjoy!**

**(Also, this chapter's loaded with references. See if you can catch them all! And there's some foreshadowing in here, too...but I won't give you any hints on that.)**

Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

Chapter Four

?'s POV

Pain.

PAIN.

Extreme pain like I'd never felt before.

I felt like screaming, but I couldn't. Why couldn't I scream?

A burning in my chest; a throbbing in the back of my head. I couldn't think. My consciousness was only just returning.

I heard voices. They sounded familiar, but I couldn't place them. Their words were too garbled and muffled for me to make out, but they sounded urgent. I willed myself to respond somehow, but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. I wanted to scream. I was trapped inside my own mind.

And then, just as it had come, it started to fade. I could feel myself slipping. The voices sounded panicked now. I had to hold on. I had to wake up. I just...had...to...

Everything faded into silence. I felt nothing, thought nothing except one thing before the last of my senses left me.

_Fucking hell. What did I do to myself this time?_

oOo

Erin's POV

A knock on my door was what ended up waking me, but I didn't remember falling asleep. I opened my eyes to find my face shoved into the blankets of my bed. _What was I...Oh, right. Crying. _

More knocking, and a voice. "Erin? Are you there?"

"Yeah!" I sat upright, kicking myself mentally as my voice cracked from lack of use. I coughed and wiped at my sticky face, for once glad there was no makeup in Middle-Earth. "Yeah, I'm here!"

"May I come in?"

"Sure." I hoped my hair didn't look too messed up as I twisted around to see Legolas walk in, looking concerned. My emotions felt jumbled, but I smiled at him anyway. "Hey there, handsome."

He smiled back a bit at my joke. _Oops, it wasn't actually a joke. _"I am sorry I did not follow after you when you...left earlier. I thought you would need some time alone."

I frowned. "Wait, how long was I asleep?"

"It has been a few hours," he replied.

I shook my head. "Wow, Erin," I mumbled. "Way to go."

Legolas chuckled. "It is not a problem, I assure you. You needed rest. Though I do hope you are feeling better now."

I looked at him, unable to lie. "I've been better. But...it wasn't something I knowingly controlled. It was out of my hands," I said quietly. "I just wish something could've been done to save them all."

He nodded. "As do I." He sat down next to me on the bed. "But you are right, it was not your fault. There is only one who can answer for causing all this destruction, and that is Sauron. You are not him."

"I know."

"Good."

We both fell silent for a moment. "...So...now what?" I asked.

"That is what I had come to tell you," Legolas said. "Just after you came here, my father announced that there is to be a feast held tonight in the upper halls. It is meant to both celebrate my return and lift our people's spirits in these dark times. He expects all three of you to be there."

My eyes went wide. "Seriously? I get to go to a party with you?"

He looked amused. "Yes. What else did you expect?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I've just heard that Mirkwood elves have some of the best parties ever. They're like...legendary."

"Really?"

"Yeah," I laughed. "I don't know if I ever told you this, but back on Earth, a lot of people nicknamed your dad 'The Party King.'"

Now Legolas was laughing, too. "You never told me that."

I nodded. "Gave him glow stick necklaces, shutter shades, and everything." Before he could ask what those were, I jumped in again. "And I also heard you drink a lot of wine at these parties."

"Only the finest," Legolas said with a hint of pride. "People have many different opinions about my father, but all agree that he has some of the best taste in wine. I will warn you, though, it will seem very strong to you. Elves have a much higher tolerance for alcohol."

For a second, I considered telling him that America had an age limit to drinking and that I'd never touched a drop of wine in my life, but I stopped. _...Well...if there's no limit in Middle-Earth...and Legolas, Boromir, and Kathryn will be there to stop me if things get too out of hand..._ "There's a first time for everything, right?"

oOo

Kaia's POV

The first thing that told me I was awake was that I could sense light through my eyelids. I was thinking again. I was conscious again. The second thing that told me I was awake was the pain dotted through my chest.

"What the hell!" I gasped, coughing as my eyes snapped open. I cringed even more and tried to sit up; coughing did not help the pain at all. There was a throbbing at the back of my head, too. _Jesus, I feel like I got hit by a truck! _"What happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."

"Kaia! You're all right!"

I blinked at the voice and slowly lifted my gaze, squinting as I adjusted to the light. Aragorn, Merry, Pippin, and Frodo were all crouched around me, looking relieved. "Of course-" I coughed again._ Damn, and my throats like the Sahara Desert._ "Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be?"

Aragorn suppressed a smile at that. "It is not every day one gets dropped into another world."

I tensed and snapped my head towards him. My head pounded harder, but I just tried to ignore it. "What do you mean?"

"Look around you," he said. "It does not look like Earth to me." My eyes flicked back and forth, taking in our surroundings, and I realized he was right. We weren't on the side of the highway anymore, we were in the middle of nothing but rocks. Everything was grey, from the sky above to the dirty, gravelly ground I sat on. And the rocks seemed to go on for miles and miles, twisting in all directions. "It is the Emyn Muil. We are not too far south of where our Fellowship was taken from when we entered your world."

I stared at him. "...How the hell did we get here?" I winced again. _And why does my chest hurt so fucking badly?  
_"I suspect Erin found out how to get us home. Now lie down."

I did as instructed, though still confused. "But then why am I here? What's going on?"

"We don't know," Merry cut in. "All that happened was...well, we all woke up one by one. Everyone was just sort of thrown about on the ground, and you were out the longest."

"You were slipping in and out of consciousness for an hour or so," Aragorn added as he began looking me over.

I clenched my fists and hissed in pain as he put a slight pressure on my ribcage. That alone was enough to send a jolt of pain through me. "Fuck! Don't do that!"

He looked up in alarm. "You are hurt there?"

"Yeah," I gasped, "yeah, I think so." I tried to think of what it might be as Aragorn told Pippin to bring him his pack. It was then that I noticed that they'd all changed back into their Fellowship clothes. "When did you-"

"Not important," the ranger cut me off. "Tell me how your chest feels."

"Why?" I asked. "Is it serious?"

He glanced up at me briefly, and I was slightly freaked out for the concern in his eyes. "It could be."

oOo

Kathryn's POV

I frowned as I looked in the mirror one more time, making a couple last-minute adjustments to my hair to try and get it to look nice. _Eh...it'll have to do. At least I'm not going to a beauty pageant. _Knowing Erin would probably be finished and waiting for me soon, I ran through it with a brush quickly before setting it down on the dresser and heading outside, smoothing my dress out as I went. I was anxious, obviously. Erin and I were about to go to a party full of elves who were all basically Middle-Earth's top supermodels. I'd probably look like I rolled out of a dumpster compared to them.

I hurried down to where Erin's room was (thankfully not far from mine) and knocked. "Erin?" I yelled. "You ready? We're gonna be late!"

"Coming!" I heard the thudding of feet, and stepped back just in time to avoid getting a door to the face as Erin came flying out a few seconds later, shoes in hand and still in the process of hooking her necklace together. "Sorry, sorry, I know I'm late."

That, oddly enough, wasn't the first thing that caught my attention. "Oh my God, are we wearing the same dress?"

Erin paused just as she got the chain to click into place and looked down, then back at me. We both started laughing as soon as we realized that yes, we were in fact wearing the same dress. Floor-length, wide, scooped neck threatening to slip off our shoulders, big, swishy sleeves, and a small beaded belt around our waists that gave way to a simple, one-layered skirt. The only difference was that my dress was a pure, shining white, and Erin's was a deep coal black. "Looks like you're the angel and I'm the whiny emo kid," she said with a grin.

"How'd that even happen?" I asked. "Oh my God, we're so stupid."

She laughed again as she slipped into her shoes. "Whatever. We'll just tell everyone we planned it. Yin and Yang." Erin nudged me playfully before starting off in the direction Legolas would be waiting for us so we could be escorted by him and Boromir to the feast. "Now let's go get this party started, shall we?"

oOo

Kaia's POV

"Sit up...slowly...Can you sit up?"

"Yeah, I can sit up," I said, pushing Aragorn's hand aside as I moved myself into an upright sitting position against a rock in front of a small fire that we'd made. Aragorn had gone for a quick scouting mission and promised us that we were alone enough to try and set up a little camp for the time being. I looked around at the hobbits, who were also curled up in their cloaks on the edge of the firelight. The sun had just gone down, so it wasn't too dark yet, but I was mentally preparing for the worst. "So what's the plan?"

"There isn't one. Not for now, at least."

I shot Aragorn a look. "We can't just sit here and do nothing! We have no shelter, no food or water-"

"And we also do not have daylight," he cut in. "Emyn Muil is enough of a labyrinth to conquer on its own. I will not have us traveling through it in the dark, especially you. You need to rest."

I nearly sighed in exasperation, then remembered I couldn't and settled for an eye-roll instead. "They're bruised ribs."

"One is likely cracked," he reminded me, "and I cannot do anything to heal them. If you exert too much effort, you could break it completely and puncture a lung."

"Doesn't mean I can't walk," I mumbled, looking back at the flickering flames again.

There was a pause until Aragorn spoke again. "I had thought about staying here through the night, and possibly tomorrow. But Kaia is right; we do not have the supplies to remain here for long, and from what I could tell when looking around today, we are not anywhere near the exit to these lands."

"But you do know the way out, then?" Pippin asked. "...Right?"

Aragorn hesitated, which worried me. _Oh, shit. _"I knew the path...once. Most likely, I could still lead us out...but it will take time. And time is not something we can afford to waste."

"Especially since we have no clue where the others are," I said again, trying not to take deep breaths. "If Erin's the one who brought us back somehow, then I'd bet my life that she's here, too."

"And that means Kathryn, Legolas, and Boromir aren't far behind," Merry added.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"We cannot go look for them yet," Aragorn reminded us. "You are injured. We must first find our way out of these rocks and find someone to help us. If we are lucky, and I can find the right path, we can take the northernmost exit, which will put us near Lothlórien. They will help us."

"Would the elves know where the others might be?" Frodo chimed in.

"They might."

There was another moment of silence as we all sat there, thinking. "...It's gonna be dangerous no matter what we do," I said, looking back to Aragorn. "You're the only one who has any kind of advanced fighting skill, and we don't know what could be hanging around waiting for us. We should leave tomorrow morning and get out of here as soon as possible."

But the dark-haired man only shook his head. "No Orcs would use Emyn Muil as passage. They do not know the paths, and it would only slow them down. Rohan lies to our west; Gondor to the South. We are safe enough here."

He made a move like he was going to get up, but I stopped him with one last question. "Are we? Stranded in a pile of rocks with nothing to eat? That's safe to you?" He didn't answer, just continued to stand up and walk over to where all our bags had been piled up. I watched the ranger for a minute as the hobbits started whispering among themselves, wondering why he was so okay with us chilling here for awhile. _We're like sitting ducks. Anyone who wanted us could kill us off or take us here and now without hardly any fight. This isn't safe at all. We gotta get out of here._

oOo

Legolas' POV

I exhaled as I took a seat in an empty chair, thankful for a moment away from the crowds of people. I had hardly had a second to myself so far with all the elves asking questions about where I had been and who the new guests were, and the night had been going on for a few hours, at least. An elf approached me from the side, and I nearly groaned in exasperation, but relaxed when he merely offered me a glass of wine. I took it gratefully and sipped at it, my eyes searching the crowd nearby. Since I had been almost immediately whisked away by my father once I had arrived, I had not seen any sign of Boromir, Kathryn, or Erin after bringing the three down to the hall. _Where are they?_

Suddenly, a hand gripped my shoulder, and I turned around, expecting to have to fend off another questioning elf. Thankfully, it was not so. Tauriel smirked when she saw the relieved look on my face. "Did you think I was your father?"

"No, though that would have been just as bad."

She laughed a bit and sat next to me, joining as I scanned the sea of faces. "How much are you telling the people?"

"No more than they need to know," I said. "I do not think it would be wise to announce the existence of another world to the public."

"And what of your father?"

"He agrees with me." I tilted my head a bit, thinking I had caught a glimpse of Kathryn. "We have made the decision to say that I simply had trouble returning from Rivendell, and Boromir was traveling with me, along with two of his friends from Gondor that had come with him to see Imladris for themselves."

She nodded a bit. "Thorough. It makes me feel incredibly special; knowing all the secrets."

I glanced at her and smiled. "You know I trust you more than anyone else, Tauriel. I would never have kept such information from you."

"Nor I you," she replied. "We made that promise a long time ago."

I nodded, remembering those days as my gaze drifted off. "And faithfully kept it."

There was a pause, and then she turned to me. "Then I feel I must tell you this." I looked back at her, curious. "I do not trust the man."

I frowned. "Boromir? Why?"

"He...unnerves me." She looked back to the crowd to ensure no one was sneaking up on us and lowered her voice as I leaned in closer. "He seems reckless and...unwise. I look at him, and I sense a trace of deception and betrayal." At those words, memories came flooding back to me. Memories of a redheaded man and a golden ring on a snowy mountaintop not long ago. "...He has done something before, hasn't he?"

I blinked and looked back at her, wondering if I should tell her about what happened that day. I had not told Tauriel much about the Fellowship's journey, as she had not asked about it. But hearing her speak of Boromir as if he was a traitor reminded me of the difficulties he had caused in the recent past. _Should she know?_

"Legolas?" she asked quietly. "Is there something-"

"LEGOLAS!"

I snapped my head up again, my eyes widening at what I was seeing. Erin was coming towards us, but with half a glass of wine in her hand, no shoes, and a flushed face. She looked absolutely awestruck to see us sitting there as she came over. "There you are! You silly little princeyling!" She laughed and unceremoniously plopped into my lap.

I shot Tauriel an amused look. "We will talk later," I whispered. She nodded and quickly left us as I turned to look down at Erin. "You have certainly been enjoying yourself!"

She giggled again. "Hella yeah I have! You didn't even tell me about these raves thingies you have! And you...you..you're sitting here in the corner by yourself!" She lightly smacked my chest. "Laaaaaaame!"

I laughed. _She is quite amusing when she is drunk._ "I am not as much of a party animal as you, it would seem."

Suddenly, Erin shook her head. "No...No no, no...no no no. Legolas..." She set her empty wine glass to the side and grabbed my face with her hands. "...Legolas. Look at me. Are you looking?"

"I am looking,"

"Legolas.." she started again, taking one hand off of my face. "I...am here...with _glorious _purpose." She made a grand, overdramatic gesture at nothing in particular with her arm. "Burdened. Burdened, I am! And you..._you_ are gonna be my assistitant."

I raised my eyebrows. "Am I now?" She was definitely intoxicated, though from my judgments it did not seem to be too excessive. I knew she had never gotten involved with alcohol before, so it was expected that she would be quite the lightweight.

"Yes," she nodded vigorously. "You are. You're gonna be the sidekick guy. I need a good sidekick guy, and so do you. Get yourself one sometime." She patted my cheek, then forced me to look at her again. "Aaaand if you're my sidekick, that means you get to know all the secrets _first._"

"Secrets?" I questioned. "Are they good secrets?"

"Oh, yes yes yes yes yes," she said quickly, "_very_ good secrets. The best secrets of the best secrets of the best secrets. And _you_-" Here she found it suitable to poke my nose "-get to know them first."

She stared at me with a smirk, and I back at her for several long seconds before I prompted her to go on. "...And those secrets are?"

"That's the BEST PART!" she cried suddenly, then broke into a fit of laughter. "I...I...I don't even _know_ them yet!"

I laughed along with her at her ridiculous babbling. "You are absolutely the _worst _person to be a sidekick for. Have you made any new friends yet?" I asked teasingly.

Her face lit up instantly, like that of a child. "YES! How did you know?!" She looked genuinely awed that I had predicted such.

I chuckled and simply shrugged. "Lucky guess."

"No, that was _magic. _That was magicky elf magic you just did there just now." She narrowed her eyes at me, then laughed again. "And it was GREAT! Do it again!"

"Alas, I cannot,." I gave her a slightly pouty face. I was enjoying this. "Elf magic can only be used once at every party."

"Oh." Now she looked saddened.

"But..." I turned her head and pointed at the large crowd in the center of the hall. "I would think that _they _have not all used up their magic yet."

Erin gasped and got up immediately, and I made sure she was still steady on her feet before letting her go. She took off into the crowd again without so much as a goodbye, and I laughed. _This will be a night to remember._

oOo

The crowd burst into applause around me, and I joined in, laughing as I took another drink. Erin was definitely one to be much more outgoing when drunk, as she had taken it upon herself to dance with as many people as possible throughout the night. Currently, she had just finished a song and dance on top of one of our large tables with two other elves, and was laughing and giving them kisses on their cheeks before hopping down and running over to me.

"Hey!" She nearly tripped, and I caught her.

"Hey!" I echoed. I was not nearly as inebriated as her, though I was beginning to feel the slightest tingling in my fingers from the wine. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for you!" she shouted back louder than necessary. She grabbed my arm and started pulling me out into the more open area on the floor, where several elves were dancing. "It's been foreeeeeever, and I haven't...danced! With you!" I allowed her to drag me along and attempt to dance with me, though most of it was me just twirling her in circles over and over. "Ahhh, I love parties! Drinks all around!" She looked up at me. "Have I ever told you that, Leggie? I just looooove love lovity love them."

I blinked at the nickname 'Leggie,' but let it slide. "I can tell. You seem to be making _lots_ of new friends now."

"I am! Escpecially that tall dude back there I just danced with. We had a little party of our own up there, man. We partied hard. Way hard. Ultra hard. And damn...I'd so sleep with him in a heartbeat." My eyes widened and my steps faltered at her slurred statement, but she didn't seem to notice. "Ahh, shit," she giggled. "TMI, am I rite? Oh, whatever. There's plenty of bangin' dudes here. What do you think, Legs?"

I smoothly deflected the odd question by distracting her with another subject. "Have you seen Kathryn and Boromir anywhere? I have only seen them once this whole night."

"Oh, _yes_!" Erin cried. "I know totally where they totally are! Kathryn was looking for ya, b-t-dubs." She began dragging me around again.

"Really? How long ago was that?"

"I dunno. When did this party start again?"

I sighed and shook my head as we were pulled through the crowd, with Erin shouting an array of bizarre things to get people to move out of the way. When we finally did get to where we wanted to go, it was near the corner of the hall in the back. Kathryn and Boromir were sitting at a table and talking, though Kathryn also seemed quite drunk, as she was giggling at practically everything Boromir was saying. The Gondorian seemed to be holding up better than the girls, but even his face was flushed at this point.

"KATHRYN!" Erin shouted loudly.

Kathryn nearly jumped five feet in the air. "Erin! Oh my God, where have you _been_?" She then stood and wrapped her friend in a tight hug. "It's been fluck...fuckin...hours, man!"

"I _know_!" Erin replied. "I've been dancing! And lemme tall ya, Kat, I've been taking these elves to dancing school. They don't even know what hit them, I'm tellin' you."

They plopped down into seats next to each other, and Kathryn pointed at Erin. "You...are a _fucking_ genius. On the same level as that...that science dude."

"Bill?" Erin asked. "BILL!"

"BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY!" Kathryn exclaimed. "YEAH!"

"BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!" they chanted together, then nearly collapsed on themselves in fits of laughter.

Boromir laughed as well, and nodded to me. "Remind me never to let them near this much alcohol ever again."

I chuckled and took another sip. "You seem to be doing well."

"I have more experience than these two do," he replied casually. "Though I must say, give my compliments to your father on this wine. He has good taste."

"Many would agree," I said. The two of us watched as Erin and Kathryn suddenly took an intense interest in each others' fingers, both of them trying to grab the other's hands at the same time. Kathryn then decided she'd had enough of that and put both of her hands on Erin's head, patting it gently.

"You're pretty," she said dreamily.

"Nooooope!" Erin said, popping her lips. "You are!"

Kathryn blushed and buried her face in her hands. "Shhhsushshsshhh."

"Neverrrrrr... Ha, I sounded like a pirate!"

"You're like a god damn Jack Sparrow," Kathryn agreed.

"Hell yeah!" Erin beamed. "Get over here, Davy Jones! We'll battle shit out tonight!" She waved her arm around like a sword, accidentally knocking over an empty glass as a result. "Oops."

Kathryn frowned. "Great job, Erin. You could've broken that!"  
"Kathrynnn," Erin whined. "Kathryn...Kathryn...shhh, don't speak." She reached for her friend's shoulder. "I just..." Suddenly, she trailed off, blinking several times. "The world...Kathryn, it's spinning, Kathryn. You...You seein' this?"

Kathryn frowned again. "No! Oh my God, are we gonna die?"

"I don't know!" Erin shouted. "Shit!" She tried to stand up from her chair, but moved too quickly and tripped, falling to the floor instead.

I reached down to help her up, laughing still from their entertaining display. "Perhaps it is time for you to call it a night," I offered. "I can take you back to your room, if you'd like."

"Only if you spend the night in there with me, Prince Man." She wiggled her eyebrows at me, then laughed. "I got room for two, and I...I sure as hell aren't tired yet."

If ever there was a moment when my jaw hit the floor, that would have been it. "...I...Erin, I do not-"

She squinted at me curiously, not even realizing what she had just said. "Hey, your ears are pink. Wh...When did that..."

I swallowed, praying to the Valar above no one important had heard that. "All right, you are done. Come on." I quickly grabbed her shoulder and began steering her out of the room, waving back to Boromir and Kathryn before disappearing.

"But Leggybows..." she whined. "Don't make me go alone."

"I am right here," I said as we slipped out into the halls.

"Can I go get my wine first? I wasn't fle..finished."

**A/N: SO! Kaia and Company are okay (sort of)! Good news to you all, I hope. :) And to those of you who were hoping for a drunken Erin to bitch-out Tauriel, sorry I didn't get to fit that in there. As much as I would've loved to write it, I don't think it would've worked too well. **

**To KitsuneWarrior: I sent you a message on YouTube about reading the fanfics several days ago. I guess you didn't get it? D: Sorry, I just don't feel comfortable giving my Skype out to people I don't know. But in any case, my answer to your request, as humbling as it is, is no. :( I did explain myself a bit more in the message, so if you can find it, that would be great. My username was listed as ejkz4789.**

**And just for fun... In this chapter, there were 2 Avengers references, 1 Pirates of the Caribbean, and a quote from Fellowship of the Ring, too. ;) Hope I didn't miss any, but if you find others, let me know! :D Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	5. Oaths Sworn

Chaos Unleashed: Part Two

Chapter Five

Kathryn's POV

"...Kathryn. Are you awake yet?"

My response was a weak groan as I felt a deep throbbing in my head the second I came to my senses. _Oh God... Everything hurts._

A low laugh from above me. "I will take that as a yes. You seem like your normal, perky self. Would you like to run a few laps around the halls with me?"

"Go away," I grumbled from where I was pressed face down into my pillows and mattress. I already knew this hangover was gonna be hell; I didn't need Boromir rubbing it in my face as I suffered.

But of course, he went on. "You brought this upon yourself, you know. Legolas and I warned both of you girls not to get too carried away."

I winced. He was talking awfully loudly. "Can you whisper?" My mouth was so dry, too. I felt like death in every sense of the word.

"No."

"You're a dick."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, dear friend."

I sighed. "Do elves have special medicine or something for this?"

"I don't know. You would have to ask King Thranduil about that, I'd imagine."

"...I hate you."

Boromir laughed, and I felt him reach down to pat me on the shoulder. "You should be nicer than that, you know. Without me, you'd probably still be passed out on top of a table somewhere."

"I'd much rather still be unconscious right now."

"Do not worry too much about it," he said, finally softening up a bit. "Admittedly, I have endured many of these as well. I will help you through it."

"Thank you," I said quietly, feeling an uneasiness begin to settle in the pit of my stomach. Fearing the worst, I closed my eyes for a moment again, preparing to finally sit up and face the world. "Now if you don't mind, could you give me a moment and go find that medicine stuff now? I have to get acquainted with your weird toilet system."

oOo

Erin's POV

I plodded out of the bathroom area with my eyes only half-open and immediately collapsed back onto my bed. Never had I been so grateful for the naturally low lighting in Thranduil's halls. My head pounded with every heartbeat as I laid there, wanting to cry because of how awful I felt. _Jesus Christ above, I am an __idiot__. Why did I do this to myself? Why? _At least I knew I wasn't alone in my suffering. Legolas had been in a little while ago to check on me and said that Kathryn was curled up in her bed with a hangover as well. _If anything, though, that's just even more embarrassing. We'll probably be the joke of the Third Age for the elves from now on. _Mentally, I sighed. _Way to go, Erin. Your first impression to all those immortal, perfect people is now 'that sloppy human girl who can't hold more than a drop of wine.' _At least I had Legolas and Boromir around. They'd been kinda cycling back and forth between us girls, giving us medicine and a few other things to keep us going through the day as we recovered.

I was disturbed from my self-loathing session by a knock from one of them on the door. "Come on in," I said as loudly as I dared from where I lay on my side. The door opened, and I closed my eyes again. _Footsteps are too light to be a man's. Must be Legolas. _"How bad was I last night? Was I just like a normal 'everything is funny' kind of drunk? Or was it more 'hey, I just met you two seconds ago, let's make out' king of drunk?" Then my eyes shot open as a worse alternative crossed my mind. "Oh God. I didn't throw up on anybody, did I?"

There was a short pause. "Forgive me, Lady Erin, but I was not in your vicinity much at the feast."

_Aaand Legolas is suddenly a girl._ I frowned and twisted around in my bed, catching myself as I went too fast, making me slightly dizzy. _Never mind. _"Oh." I blinked and sat up slowly, wondering why Tauriel was in my room. "Sorry, I thought-"

"It is no trouble," she cut me off. "Legolas would have come, but he was pulled aside by his father for something. He sent me here to bring you this." She extended her hand, and it was then that I noticed the steaming cup.

"Oh, thank the Lord," I exhaled, gladly accepting the mug of warm athelas tea. "I needed more of this." The perfect painkiller to ease the party's after effects. I took a sip and nodded to the redhead, swallowing the hot drink. "Thanks for bringing this."

She smiled. "You are welcome, Lady Erin."

"You can...just call me Erin," I replied with a slight hesitation. I still wasn't that open to the idea of us being friends, but the formalities weren't necessary, either. And I was at least going to be civil with her, too.

Tauriel nodded, and then laughed a bit. "You seem to be recovering well."

I lounged back a bit in my bed. "Am I? I'd have no idea."

"It seems that way," she answered. "You and Kathryn are lucky to have such good caretakers."

I smiled a bit at that and stared at my feet. "Yeah. I bet some elves would kill to have the Prince of Mirkwood waiting on them." My gaze flicked to her for a second, looking for a reaction, but she didn't really give one. "Even though I really don't deserve it. I threw myself out there, so... I had all this coming. It was fun, though."

"I am glad," she said. "I cannot remember the last time the King allowed mortals to be guests at one of his feasts."

"I guess it's because I'm special," I joked. She laughed a bit, and I looked at her for a moment, wondering. "...How much do you know?"

Her tone became a bit more serious at the question. "I know that you are from another world, and that you and your friend somehow managed to transport the Fellowship from Middle-Earth to there."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know about the Fellowship?"

"Not much, but enough to understand the purpose of their mission and a few of those involved."

I nodded slowly, taking another swig of the tea. "So Legolas told you, then." She nodded back to me. _Hmm. He really does trust her with everything. Not sure how I feel about that._

"How much do you know?"

I fought back a smirk. _More than you._ "I know who's in it, where they wanted to go, and...some of what happened along the way. Legolas told me lots of stories when they lived with us." I didn't feel like trying to explain technology to someone today. Though I did have to give her some credit for keeping the conversation going even though this was really the only time we'd ever talked. _Maybe she's not as bad as I thought._ "So you and Legolas are pretty close, then?"

"Yes. I have known him since I was an elfling." A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "The King has told me that he suspects Legolas' feelings to have grown into something beyond friendship, but I cannot believe that to be a possibility."

And just like that, I was eating my own words. My jaw clenched slightly. I hoped she hadn't noticed. "Well, what do you think? What would you do if you found out he loved you?"

She thought for a minute. "I...do not know what I would say... It would be improper form someone of his status to be seen with me in that light. And his father...he has also said that he would never allow his son to pledge himself to me anyway."

I nodded slowly, and there was a lingering silence between us. I stared at her as her eyes glazed over and looked elsewhere. She was contemplating the idea. Before things could go any further, I cleared my throat. "Well! I think I'm going to try and sleep this hangover off some more." My head still throbbed, but the tea was already working its magic and lessening the pain. "Plus, I don't want to keep you from whatever duties you're supposed to be doing."

"Yes, I should be going," she agreed, snapping out of her trance and heading for the door. "I wish you a fast recovery, Erin."

"Thanks. See ya around," I said absentmindedly as she left. I sat there for a few seconds, thinking, then finally sunk back beneath the covers on my bed with a sigh. _Don't dwell on it too much, Erin. Green isn't your color._

oOo

Kathryn's POV

Two days after the party, Erin and I were both hangover-free and back on our feet. Or at least...we would've been, had Legolas and Boromir not called for a meeting between the four of us bright and early that morning. So there we were, spread out in Boromir's room to talk about what our next step would be. Erin and Legolas seemed pretty set on the idea that we were going to go out and look for Kaia and the others. I knew Boromir was still scheming on his own, and that worried me, but for now he seemed to be playing along. He hadn't said a word about Gondor so far, and neither had I. We both just sort of mutually agreed to go with the flow.

"We need to leave as soon as we can," Erin said. "Who knows where they could be? The more time we spend here, the longer they're out left to fend for themselves."

"That presents our biggest problem," Boromir replied. "We don't have any idea where to start."

"He is right," Legolas agreed. "We cannot afford to waste time by taking a blind guess as to where they will be. If we are wrong, then all our efforts will have been for nothing."

"What else can we do, though?" I spoke up. "I'm not going to just sit around and wait for news of them. It could take forever for word to reach here if they're somewhere far away."

"And that's assuming that they've already been found," Erin added. "My biggest concern is that they're out there with no weapons, no food, and a hobbit that carries the Ring around his neck. If they run into any of these new enemies that Thranduil's warned us about, they're toast."

Legolas exhaled. "I wish there was something we could do, but our hands are tied. We cannot leave until we have a set destination."

My heart sunk. I was just as freaked out as Erin was about the possibility of our friends being alone and helpless in the wild. Aragorn would be with them, at least, and he obviously could fight and live off the land if he needed to, but there was only so much he'd be able to do for everyone else. But Legolas was right – we were out of luck until we could get a solid idea on where they'd be.

Finally, I broke the silence. "So what are we going to do?"

"We wait," Legolas said firmly. Erin frowned, about to protest, but he didn't let her. "We have no other option. I will speak to my father about this; he may be able to assist us in finding their location. But until then, we must stay here. Are we all satisfied with this?" He looked at the brunette for a minute, daring her to challenge him. I could tell she was mildly pissed about the decision, but eventually she gave in with a short nod. "Good."

"Then there is nothing more to be said here," Boromir concluded. A few more nods, and Legolas stood up from where he'd been sitting in a chair to go talk to his dad, with Erin soon following him out the door. As soon as she was gone, Boromir turned to me. "Kathryn, I have an idea."

"Shoot."

He lowered his voice a bit, just to make sure we wouldn't be caught. "If Thranduil cannot help us, then we may be stuck here for awhile. I do not want to waste time sitting here when I already know the route to Minas Tirith. We could sneak out in the night and take off without a trace."

"And how do you plan on getting past all the guards that are stationed everywhere?" I asked skeptically. "It's not going to be that simple. We can't just walk out."

Boromir then raised an eyebrow. "Wait...is this your way of saying that you are going to join me?"

I hesitated. "I... Yeah. I'll come with you." Something about this still didn't feel right, but I'd convinced myself that it was just nerves talking. I wasn't going to let him go on such a dangerous journey alone. And he was kind of right. The safety of Gondor was really important.

He beamed. "Thank you, Kathryn."

"Hey, this doesn't mean I'm totally one-hundred percent okay with it," I warned. "I just...I see where you're coming from. And I don't think you should go by yourself."

"I had hoped you would understand," he smiled. "It means much to me to have your support, and I promise I will protect you from any harm as we travel."

_It's not my safety I'm worried about, _I thought, but kept it to myself. "Well, either way, we need to seriously start planning this out. Who knows how much time we have left now?" I grabbed the chair Legolas had just been sitting in and pulled it over to his bed, where he sat on the edge to face me. "Let's talk."

oOo

Erin's POV

I walked briskly through the halls, still kind of mad that Legolas had just jumped up and made a decision on behalf of the entire group so quickly. _There has to be some way we can find them. They can't be too far away, right?_ But my mind quickly switched gears as I thought about the short conversation I'd just had with Galion, Thranduil's personal butler. Apparently he had been sent to find me and deliver a message from the king himself – I was asked to meet him in his personal chambers, which Galion then graciously gave me directions to. I felt a small prick of anxiety as I wondered what I could've been summoned for. _Maybe he's just going to call be out for getting so drunk, I don't know. _I didn't really know what to expect from him at all. I'd hardly talked to the guy.

Approaching the stairwell that I'd been told would lead me to the king, I took a breath to compose myself before heading down. It wasn't super-long or anything, but it turned a bit here and there, and within a few seconds I found myself tiptoeing into a room with several large, stone pillars that were carved to look like tree trunks, stretching high up to meet the ceiling. There were other beautiful glass and metal decorations scattered around, and a lavish rug here and there. Torchlight flickered about the room, giving it a deep, warm glow, and a large pool of water was set in the ground not far away from me. After a minute, I recognized it as the same room from _Desolation of Smaug_ that Tauriel had confronted Thranduil about the spiders in. It was stonily silent, though. I wondered if this was even the right room for me to be in.

Just as I opened my mouth to call out, a familiar voice stopped me. "There is no need for you to be wary, Erin. I am here." From some other entrance across the room, Thranduil appeared, a large, patterned brown and gold robe trailing behind him as he seemed to glide across the floor. I noticed his crown was missing, and he generally just seemed to be in a much more casual state.

Realizing then that I'd just been standing there in silence, I coughed and spoke up. "You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, I did." He didn't come to me, though, instead choosing to go to a small table set near his little indoor hot-tub. I heard the _pop_ of a cork and nearly groaned out loud. _Please, no more wine._ "I have acquired information which you may find to be useful."

I perked up at that. "Oh? What is it?"

Thranduil finally turned to face me – and sure enough, there was a freshly opened wine bottle in his hand. "I know of your plans to search for your friends, Erin."

I blinked. "How... We just talked about that five minutes ago! Legolas was on his way to find you and tell you how it went, actually."

He smirked at my reaction. "I have my sources. But your friends...they are important to you?"

"Of course."

"Tell me, how far would you be willing to go to protect them?"

"I'd die for them."

He held my gaze for a moment, as if searching for any sign that I was lying. "You are loyal, then."

"Fiercely so, King Thranduil." It was one of the few things about myself that I was proud of.

"And what if one of them were to betray you?"

I frowned as he watched me. "...Why would any of them betray me?"

He chuckled lowly at that. "Why does anyone betray anyone, Erin? There are many people who would do whatever it takes to protect those they love. You know this, you are an intelligent woman."

I was thoroughly confused by that, but rolled with it anyway. "And you're telling me this...why?"

He chose to answer my question with another one instead. "If it were Legolas?"

_Okay, what the hell. _"He wouldn't," I said, not a hint of doubt in my tone. "Never."

Thranduil turned to pour himself a glass of wine, his back now to me. "You trust him?"

"With my life."

The elvenking paused before speaking again. "From how he speaks of you, I would say he holds you in the same regard."

Again, I was thrown off a bit from what he said. "He talks about me?"

"He has spoken about many things from his time spent in your realm," he said, "but you were one of the more common topics."

"And...what has he told you about me?"

Thranduil turned around again, wine in hand. "That you are compassionate, and unwaveringly loyal to those you care about. Fairly clever...though sometimes with unrealistic expectations of the outside world. Critical of others, and prone to jumping to conclusions before knowing all the facts." I tried not to react too openly. He was spot-on with all of it, but I was slightly saddened that Legolas had noticed my flaws. "But selfless as well."

I swallowed, feeling mildly uncomfortable under the king's cool gaze. "I'd be lying if I didn't admit to my faults. No one's perfect. But you still haven't told me about this 'information' of yours." I narrowed my eyes a bit, trying to figure out what he was up to, but it was nearly impossible. _I'm painfully reminded why you're one of my favorite characters, Thrandy. Thank you._

"Yes..." He trailed off and took a sip of his wine for a moment, looking away as if deep in thought. When his eyes finally snapped back to mine again, they didn't seem as scrutinizing as before. "Your friends are here."

My eyes widened. "Here? Like...in Mirkwood?"

"No," he corrected me. "They are quite far away from here, but they have been spotted."

"How do you know? Where are they?" I was desperate for answers now. _We have a chance. We could save them._

"I have eyes and ears spread all across Arda," he explained. "You might call them spies, though they are not. They are simply sources of information to me when I require it." Another sip of wine. "A report came from a group of these men stationed on the edge of the southern Emyn Muil, telling of a strange flash of blue light and high winds appearing inside the labyrinth a few days ago." I sucked in a breath. _That has to be them._ "I have sent a response telling them to guard all exits, and that if a group should emerge matching the description of your friends that Legolas has given me, they are to be held at a camp on the edge of Nindalf until you come for them."

My heart lept. _They're here. They're in Middle-Earth, and they'll be safe. _"Then we should leave immediately!" I exclaimed.

"But you do not have a plan for how to get there, do you?"

I shrugged, trying to think. "I don't think it would need to be too in-depth, would it? We'd just go directly south through the rest of Mirkwood and cut through the Brown Lands to reach them."

"That would be a dangerous road," the elvenking warned. "You would be subjecting yourselves to whatever creatures haunt this forest, and pass close by Dol Guldur as well."

But I shook my head. "It would take longer for us to go out and around the forest, and I'd rather have the cover of the trees over our heads for as long as possible than be running across open plains the whole time. Too much open space, and someone's bound to see us and attack. I mean, it'll be dangerous any way you slice it, but going through Mirkwood seems better than the other option."

Thranduil thought about my argument for a moment, then seemed to agree. "Then if this is your plan, I will request a favor from you."

"...Okay," I replied. "I mean, I certainly owe you for the hospitality you've shown us, so...fire away."

He smiled a bit, amused by the way I spoke, but then took on an air of seriousness again. "I will provide you with an escort through Mirkwood; one who knows those paths well and can guide you on the safest roads possible to the edge of the forest. But along with that...I would also ask that you guarantee the safety of my son."

I tilted my head slightly. That was an unexpected request. "You want _me_ to protect Legolas? He's the most skilled archer in practically all of Middle-Earth! Why would he need someone like me to help him?"

"Because not even Legolas is prepared for the creatures Sauron has created and spread across our lands." The king's expression changed again, now into one of firm, protective fatherly love...and possibly a sliver of worry? "I have endured sending my son off into what could easily be a fruitless mission to destroy evil forever, and then have him be ripped away from me even further by an accident of your doing. Do not expect me to send him off into this ruined world again without some sort of protection."

I felt my own heart soften at his words. I was moved by seeing this softer side of Thranduil and how much he cared about Legolas. _And he's right to worry. Legolas is all he has left now._ I was silent for a moment, simply matching his gaze that was just barely tinted with enough fear for me to recognize that it was there. "...I will see it done," I said quietly, nodding. "Legolas means almost as much to me as he does to you. I swear on my own life I will bring him back home safely."

Thranduil seemed to relax the tiniest bit, and he returned my nod once, straightening up. It was his unspoken 'thank you.' I didn't need another word out of him to know that I was dismissed, and quickly headed back up the stairs to leave the king to his thoughts. A small ball of worry settled in my gut as I realized I had no idea how I was going to be able to defend Legolas at all. I had no idea how to fight, other than a few sporadic, half-hearted 'training sessions' we'd done back on Earth over the summer. But that didn't matter now. I'd sworn an oath to the king, and partially to myself, too. I would uphold it any way I had to.

**A/N: Looks like things are finally starting to pick up! :) It's a shame, though. Now that I've finally started getting used to writing for Thranduil, they have to leave Mirkwood. :( I wish there was more I could've done with him. He's fun to write for. Very intimidating guy. I might sneak in a little bit more dialogue between him and Legolas before we move on...but who knows. :P And sorry for not seeing Kaia and Company in this chapter, but I had ground to cover with our Mirkwood crew. The others will be back with a vengeance in the next update though, I promise. :)**

**Thanks in advance for reading and reviewing! C: As always, your support drives me to keep this story going!**


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